Week 9
Israel’s Life in the Land: The Potential & Pitfalls of Living as God’s Missional People
Watch
Israel’s story documents the potential and the pitfalls of living as God’s missional people. The books of Joshua-Nehemiah serve as a warning against unfaithfulness in the form of idolatry and injustice. These books also introduce us to the role that God’s King, or Messiah, will play in God’s mission. Unfaithfulness ultimately leads to exile, but God remains faithful to his people and his mission.
READ
In the “Invitation” Book, read Chapter 7: Israel’s Life in the Land: The Potential & Pitfalls of Living as God’s Missional People
• Day 1: Israel’s Golden Generation
• Day 2: Tragedy in the Promised Land
• Day 3: Longing for a Messiah
• Day 4: THe Temple and God with us
• Day 5: Sin, Exile, and Restoration
In the Bible read:
• Joshua 1:1-9
• Judges 2:8-12
• Judges 21:25
• 1 Samuel 12:12-15
• 2 Samuel 7:11-16
• 1 Kings 8:22-30
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & Romans 12:1-2
• Jeremiah 29:4-7
Ponder
Questions for journaling or discussing with a friend or group:
• Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel enters their “golden generation” marked by courage and faithfulness. Do you think that your future can be as abundant and dynamic as Joshua’s?
• What fears keep you from following God or living out the scriptures?
• Humans will always fill the need for the Divine with something lesser. This is idolatry. What have you been turning to lately to “satisfy” that longing? How’s that working for you?
• What warnings does the book of Judges provide for us today who wish to live for God?
• Why do you think the Israelites turned so quickly from the model of Joshua’s generation?
• Although he was deeply flawed, King David was all in for God. He was committed to God’s mission and sought to center and order his life around God’s plans and purposes? What needs to change for you to be known as a person after God’s heart?
• How does understanding kingship in the Old Testament enhance your understanding of Jesus as Messiah and his kingdom?
• The temple was a house of prayer and a sanctuary for finding forgiveness and mercy. The temple shows that God is WITH PEOPLE & FOR PEOPLE, in triumphs & failures. It instills a hope that there is always a way forward. How have you experienced the forgiveness and mercy of the creator God, who desires salvation for all his creation?
• Idolatry & injustice lead to exile for God’s people but it’s not the end of the story. Like the Israelites we look to the Messiah to restore His kingdom. How does the story of God’s people create hope?
• How can we live faithfully in exile today?